


Albon / Russell Wedding

by kakkakerssi



Series: Max and Lando [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21876715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakkakerssi/pseuds/kakkakerssi
Summary: George and Alex get married, surrounded by their friends and family.Carlos brings Pierre as his +1.Lando and Charles try not to make bad decision.Sequel to the Max/Lando fic I finished a few days ago.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/Charles Leclerc, Alexander Albon/George Russell, Charles Leclerc/George Russell, Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr, Lando Norris/Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly/Carlos Sainz Jr
Series: Max and Lando [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575997
Comments: 28
Kudos: 48





	Albon / Russell Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> There were a few requests for a sequel to the Max/Lando piece. This is that sequel. I quite like this universe really; I might even write more. There's a lot more exploring to be done with the characters. Here's 7k words of mostly happiness and joy. It's not completely angst free, but there's an optimistic ending, I promise.

“Are you nervous?” George asked, leaning on the railing of the balcony next to his soon-to-be husband. It was a warm August day, the start of the summer break, and they’re hired a country house in Norfolk for the weekend for their celebration. It was isolated enough that they wouldn’t be disturbed by any media, but large enough that all their family and friends could stay on site. 

“Mate, I’m bricking it,” Alex laughed, resting his head on George’s shoulder. “I don’t even know why. I think I’m probably still upset that my parents aren’t coming.” Alex’s parents insisted that they loved him unconditionally but didn’t want to be present for his wedding to another man. They didn’t object to it, but they didn’t want to be part of it. All four of Alex’s siblings had no such issues and were all in attendance. 

“They’re missing out,” George said. He carefully wrapped an arm around Alex and kissed the top of his head. “If it helps, I’m nervous too. I’m nervous that I’ll do something stupid or say the wrong thing, or, I don’t know, pass out or something.”

“You’re going to be great,” Alex replied optimistically. “Look at how gorgeous you are in this suit.” He turned in George’s arms and smoothed his hands over the grey tweed fabric of George’s waistcoat. “I’m so excited to marry you today.”

\---

“Do I look okay?” Lando asked, screwing his face up as his reflection in the mirror. He was standing in Carlos’s room at the venue, still unsure about his dark blue trousers, white shirt, and blue bow tie. “I don’t think my tie is good.”

“Come here,” Carlos said, fastening the last button on his shirt. It was a hot day for the wedding and nobody would be wearing a suit jacket. Carlos had considered it for a while, because although it was hot, it was only English-hot, not Spanish-hot. 

Lando left the mirror and crossed the room, standing in front of Carlos. “It’s not straight.”

“You’re not straight,” Carlos laughed, reaching out and pulling Lando’s tie undone. Unlike Lando, Carlos was feeling very relaxed about the day. Being defending World Champion was hard work, there was more pressure every weekend, closer media scrutiny as well as the pressure Carlos kept on himself to perform. He was glad to have a weekend completely free from all of that, where he could spend time with friends to celebrate a wedding.

Lando buried his hands in his pockets and tried his best to keep his neck long and his head still while Carlos redid his tie. When Carlos finished, Lando checked himself in the mirror. “It’s still wonky.”

“Are you worried about the tie or about your speech?” Carlos asked, retrieving his own tie from its hanger. He was wearing burgundy chinos with a white shirt and a thin, black tie. “You’ve done public speaking before.”

Lando screwed his face up again; Carlos was right again. His tie really wasn’t the problem. “Yeah, when someone asks me questions and I talk about racing, I can do public speaking,” he replied. “But this is completely different. This is just me talking.”

“You’ll be fine,” Carlos insisted, smoothing his tie against his shirt. “You’ve practiced, right?”

“Only, like, a billion times.”

“Then you will be fine,” Carlos said, offering Lando a warm smile. “How do I look?”

“Gorgeous as always,” Lando replied. “Pierre is a lucky man.” There was no malice in his voice, only caring. He’d been upset by finding out about their relationship when he caught them in Carlos’s driver room, Pierre on his knees, but he’d soon calmed down once he saw how happy they were together. 

“He’ll be back soon,” Carlos said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Pierre had rushed down to reception to try to find an iron for his shirt because the one already in their room was broken. 

“Then I should go,” Lando replied, crossing the room and hugging Carlos. “Thank you for helping me with my tie. I’ll see you at the ceremony.” He turned to leave the room and found Pierre making his way inside, carrying an iron and muttering to himself.

“Hi Lando!” Pierre said warmly, kissing Lando’s cheek whilst cuddling the iron to his chest. “You look great. I’d love to chat but I need to iron my shirt.”

“It’s okay, I was just leaving anyway,” Lando replied. “I’ll see you guys at the ceremony.”

\---

At one o’clock everyone was sitting down ready for the wedding ceremony to start. The venue had acres of woodland on site and the ceremony itself was taking place in a small clearing in the trees. There was an archway of branches intertwined with roses at the front and two sides of chairs with blue ribbons tied around their backs. There was a chalk sign at the back which read “Pick a seat, not a side. This is a wedding, not a war” and a smaller sign underneath which said “We’ve paid a lot of money for a photographer, please keep your phones away for the ceremony.”

Lando fidgeted in his seat, checking his reading was still there. Even though he knew it off by heart, it helped to know there was a printed copy available in his pocket in case he had a complete mind blank when he stood up.

“Is this seat free? Can I sit here?”

Lando jerked his head up at the familiar accent and smiled at Charles. “Sure, of course.”

“Thanks,” Charles said, smiling back. He was wearing dark blue trousers too and had a long tie tucked into his waistcoat. He sat down next to Lando and folded his hands in his lap. “I’m here on my own and I feel like the only person who doesn’t know anyone.”

“You can sit with me,” Lando said, nudging his leg against Charles. It was reassuring to see that even someone as seemingly confident as Charles felt insecure sometimes. Maybe he was human after all and not just a Ferrari-produced robot who scooped up pole positions and trophies like it was pre-programmed into him from birth.

Music started and everyone stood up instinctively, turning to see George and Alex come down the aisle. George walked first, arm in arm with his Mother with Alex following closely behind, holding his eldest sister’s hand.

“They’re so handsome,” Lando whispered to nobody in particular, catching Alex’s gaze and giving him a little thumbs up as they passed.

The music stopped and everyone sat down as the registrar smiled at George and Alex, putting them at ease. He could see how tense they were. “Relax,” he said quietly so that nobody else would overhear. “You’ve got this.”

George and Alex both took a deep breath to calm themselves. George looked to Alex for reassurance and Alex gave the registrar a nod that they were okay.

“Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Chaucer Barn for the  
marriage of George Russell and Alexander Albon. This place in which we are now met has been duly sanctioned according to law for the celebration of marriage. This ceremony will unite George and Alexander in marriage. We are here to celebrate their union and to honour their commitment to each other. Today George and Alexander will proclaim their love for one another. We celebrate with them and for them. If any person present knows of any lawful impediment to this marriage they should declare it now.”

Lando glanced around, hoping for silence and getting ready to fight anyone who made a sound. George and Alex were two of his closest friends and he would defend them whenever and wherever necessary.

When nobody said a thing, the registrar continued. “Marriage joins two people in the circle of its love. It is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for learning and growth that no other opportunity can equal. It is both a physical and emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher and commitment is deeper. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes that life is unable to avoid. When two people pledge their love and care for each other within a marriage they create a spirit which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise written in the hearts of two people who love each other and it takes a lifetime to fulfil.”

Carlos smiled when he felt Pierre squeeze his hand and he fidgeted in his seat, squeezing Pierre back and kissing his cheek. They were a long way from marriage but they’d known each other for years when they’d both been chasing the same dream in the Red Bull Junior Team. 

“And now, friend of George and Alexander, Lando, is going to read a poem for us.”

Lando mumbled an excuse me as he stood up from his seat, squeezed past Charles out into the aisle, and made his way to the front. He wished he was in George’s position, sitting with his back to everybody, it would make things a lot easier. Lando took a big breath and relaxed when he saw George and Alex smile up at him.

Lando pulled the neatly-folded sheet of paper out of his pocket and held it in front of him, but didn’t need to refer to it once as he read the poem he’d found by an untitled author. He’d spent hours researching poems online, getting annoyed that most of them were about women and angry that others were either too short, too long, had too many complicated words in them, or reminded him or Max. He’d spent an entire session with his therapist talking about ‘happy endings’ and how they were bullshit. 

“Maybe we are supposed to meet the wrong people before we meet the right one so when they finally arrive we are truly grateful for the gift we have been given.

“Maybe it’s true that we don’t know what we have lost until we lose it but it is also true that we don’t know what we’re missing until it arrives.” By verse three, Lando was feeling more confident. His voice was steadier, and he was almost smiling.

“Maybe the happiest of people don’t have the best of everything, but make the best of everything that comes their way.

“Maybe the best kind of love is the kind where you sit on the sofa together, not saying a word, and walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you ever had. 

“Maybe once in a lifetime you find someone who not only touches your heart but also your soul, someone who loves you for who you are and not what you could be.

“Maybe the art of true love is not about finding the perfect person, but about seeing an imperfect person perfectly.”

Lando finished his reading and hurried back to his seat. He held the sheet of paper in his lap, his fingers trembling. He closed his eyes when he felt Carlos reach across and hold his hand, whispering to him that he’d done a great job.

“Thank you,” Lando whispered back, opening his eyes and crumpling the sheet of paper back into his pocket as the registrar continued the ceremony.

“The purpose of marriage is that you always love, care for and support each other through both the joys and sorrows of life. Today you will exchange vows of marriage which will unite you. These vows are a promise of a lifelong commitment giving your families and friends the opportunity to meet together in celebration of your happiness, imparting their own message of love and support. Before you are both joined together in marriage it is my duty to remind you of the solemn and binding character of the vows you are about to make. Marriage in this country is the union of two people voluntarily entered into for life to the exclusion of all others. I am now going to ask you each in turn to declare that you know of no legal reason why you may not be joined together in marriage.”

George licked his lips, his mouth feeling drier than a sand pit and concentrated hard on repeating the registrar’s words without screwing them up and invalidating his marriage. “I do solemnly declare – that I know not – of any lawful impediment – why I, George Russell, may not be joined in marriage to Alexander Albon.”

Alex’s declaration was a lot smoother; he’d never been so sure of anything in his life. “I do solemnly declare – that I know not – of any lawful impediment – why I, Alexander Albon, may not be joined in marriage to George Russell.”

“George and Alexander, you have invited your guests here today to receive their encouragement and support and to celebrate with you at this special time. I ask you now; George, do you take Alexander to be your lawful wedded husband, to be loving, faithful and loyal to him for the rest of your life together?”

George opened his mouth to answer but no words came out. Panicking, he licked his lips again and cleared his throat. “I do.”

“Alexander, do you take George to be your lawful wedded husband, to be loving, faithful and loyal to him for the rest of your life together?”

“I do,” Alex replied, resisting the urge to say ‘abso-fucking-lutely’ instead.

“Now we move on to the formal vows of marriage. Would all guests please stand?”

George concentrated on his breathing while he listened to the rustling sound of everyone standing up and he kept his gaze firmly fixed on their registrar, a tall man with a long blonde ponytail who wasn’t much older than they were.

George did better at repeating the words this time. “I call upon – these persons here present – to witness that I, George Russell, do take you, Alexander Albon to be my lawful wedded Husband – to love and to cherish – from this day forward.”

Alex had to concentrate harder at repeating these words; he’d practiced them so often in his head that he could say them without any prompting. “I call upon – these persons here present – to witness that I, Alexander Albon, do take you, George Russell, to be my lawful wedded Husband – to love and to cherish – from this day forward.”

Everyone sat down again while Alex’s sister read the poem “I’ll be there for you” by Louise Cuddon. Alex wanted nothing more than to throw his arms around George and kiss away all his worries but he knew that George didn’t want that right then. George wanted to get through the ceremony in one piece. George relaxed slightly while Alex’s sister read, even giggling at a couple of the parts of the poem. 

“I’ll be there my darling, through thick and through thin  
When your mind’s in a mess and your head’s in a spin  
When your plane’s been delayed, and you’ve missed the last train.  
When life is just threatening to drive you insane  
“When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page  
When somebody tells you, you’re looking your age  
When your coffee’s too cool, and your wine is too warm  
When the forecast said “Fine”, but you’re out in a storm  
“When your quick break hotel, turns into a slum  
And your holiday photos show only your thumb  
When you park for five minutes in a resident’s bay  
And return to discover you’ve been towed away  
“When the jeans that you bought in hope or in haste  
Just stick on your hips and don’t reach round your waist  
When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes  
When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes  
“So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear…  
When you break a rule, when you act the fool  
When you’ve got the flu, when you’re in a stew  
When you’re last in the queue, don’t feel blue  
’cause I’m telling you, I’ll be there.”  
George and Alex stood up again and now that George had relaxed, Alex was feeling nervous. Though the ceremony was almost over, Alex was feeling lightheaded and desperate to sit down again. He concentrated hard on the registrar, knowing he had just one more set of words to say before he was married.

“The exchanging of rings is the traditional way of sealing the contract that you have just made. It is an unbroken circle, symbolising unending and everlasting love and is the outward sign of the lifelong promise that you have just made to each other.”

George’s elder brother stepped forward with the rings and George reached for Alex’s ring, his own hands feeling just as clammy as Alex’s as he slid the ring onto Alex’s finger, repeating the words of the registrar.

“I give you this ring – as a symbol of our love – All that I am I give to you – all that I have I share with you. I promise to love you – to be faithful and loyal – in good times and bad – may this ring remind you always - of the words we have spoken today.”

As Alex slid the ring onto George’s finger and repeated the words of the registrar, he felt tears stinging his eyes and his voice wavering. George welled up too but kept his hand still while Alex spoke. “I give you this ring – as a symbol of our love – All that I am I give to you – all that I have I share with you. I promise to love you – to be faithful and loyal – in good times and bad – may this ring remind you always - of the words we have spoken today.”

George and Alex turned back to the registrar and held hands; George smiled brightly as he felt Alex’s wedding bring brushing against his hand as the registrar finished the ceremony. After wanting the ceremony to be over, he now didn’t want it to be over. His heart had never felt so full.

“Today is a new beginning. May you have many happy years together and in those years may all your hopes and dreams be fulfilled. Above all, may you always believe in each other and may the warmth of your love enrich not only your lives but the lives of all those around you. It now gives me great pleasure to tell you both that you are now legally wed. Congratulations!”

\---

“Is he okay?” Lando asked, looking down at Alex with a worried look on his face. Everyone was making their way up to the barn for the reception when Alex had sat down suddenly on a bench, complaining about feeling dizzy. George’s elder brother appeared with a bottle of water and was crouched down in front of Alex, helping him drink because his hands were shaking so much.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” George replied, trying to sound reassuring. “It’s really hot, he didn’t have any breakfast, you know…”

“Yeah, I get it,” Lando said, nodding. He’d felt similar every time he’d raced in Singapore. “We’ll see you guys later. Congrats again. Feel better soon, Alex!” He left his friends and hurried up the hill to the barn, catching Charles first. “Do you want to sit together for the meal?”

“Yes please,” Charles replied, pushing his designer glasses back up his nose. “Is Alex okay?”

“He just got a bit excited and needed a rest.”

\---

Lando sipped his cider, glancing around the room. Everyone was in such a good mood and Lando felt a little jealous of all the happy couples. Carlos and Pierre struggled to keep their hands off each other, babbling away about their plans for the rest of the summer break which apparently involved southern Italy.

“Lando!” Charles laughed, waving his hand in front of Lando’s face. “Are you there?”

“What? Sorry, I was miles away,” Lando said, taking another sip of his cider and turning to give Charles his full attention. “What were you saying?”

“I asked if you had any plans for the rest of the summer break,” Charles said, pushing the last of his dessert around his plate before scooping it into his mouth. 

“Not really,” Lando replied, shrugging. “I’ll probably go back to my parents’ house. My sister just got another horse.”

“Do you ride?”

Lando rolled his eyes at the innuendo but answered the question honestly. “I try to, when I’m down there. I used to be really scared of horses, but I’ve slowly been making friends with them. Spending time with horses, just doing basic stuff like grooming them and feeding them, it’s really helpful for your mental health, you know?”

“No,” Charles laughed. “I’ve never been on a horse. I guess it’s relaxing though?”

“So relaxing,” Lando replied, downing the last of his cider. “You should try it one day.”

“Maybe you’ll take me?” Charles suggested, jumping when he felt Alex’s hands on his shoulders. Alex and George were making their way around the room, checking their guests were okay and thanking them for coming.

“Charles!” Alex beamed, moving to crouch down next to Charles while George crouched down on his other side, squeezing his arm. “Thank you so much for coming! Are you having a nice time?”

“Are you kidding?” Charles replied. “I’ve known you guys since I was ten. No way would I miss this day. I’m really happy for you both. I’m having a great time.”

“That’s good, I’m glad,” George said. “And Lando’s being nice to you? We were worried you might get a bit lonely.”

“Lando’s being great; he’s just offered to take me horse-riding.”

“Have I?”

“Lando, that’s so kind of you,” Alex said, standing up and hugging Lando from over the back of his chair, grinning when George piled in for a cuddle as well. “And mate, thank you so much for your reading. We loved it.”

“Did I do okay?” Lando checked, grabbing at both their arms and squeezing them tight before eventually letting go.

“You did great,” George replied warmly. “We loved it. My Mum said she cried. What you said really means a lot to us, so thank you, really.”

“I was happy to do it,” Lando said politely, screwing his face up when George and Alex both laughed at him because they all knew it wasn’t true. “I’m having a nice time. You guys are great.”

“Thanks, mate,” Alex said, giving Lando one last pat on the shoulder before they moved around the table. “Carlos!”

\---

The highlight of the night up until that point for Lando was the speeches. George’s elder brother gave a speech which had George almost hiding under the table, and Alex and George both gave a speech. George threatened everyone with an hour long powerpoint presentation and Alex mentioned how nice it was to see George actually score some points now he was driving for Mercedes.

When the dancing started, Lando and Charles headed outside and sat down together on a giant bean bag under the twinkly lights around the barn. Lando cuddled his cider bottle in his lap; he hadn’t drunk enough to be completely out of his mind, but he was definitely relaxed. Charles had stuck with wine, having tried a taste of Lando’s cider and not enjoyed it. They’d added a cider-tasting afternoon to their imaginary plans where they’d go horse-riding.

Lando couldn’t tell if Charles was flirting or if he was just being friendly in the way that people from Southern Europe were. He finally got the hint and Charles ran his fingers through Lando’s hair and leant in for a kiss. Lando gripped his cider bottle tighter and kissed Charles back; it was everything he’d imagined it would be. 

Charles broke the kiss and pulled away, settling his arm on the bean bag around Lando’s shoulders. “Do you want to come back to my room later?”

Lando chewed his lip but then shook his head. “No?”

“Why not?” Charles asked curiously, tipping his head to one side.

Lando sighed and took a big sip of his cider. “Because I have a terrible history of sleeping with the wrong person and fucking everything up?” he suggested as an explanation. “Giving my heart away too easily is a big problem of mine.”

“Same,” Charles smirked. “I’m not very good at relationships. I just want attention.”

“Do you have a type?” Lando asked curiously, suddenly feeling a closer connection to Charles.

“I like English guys,” Charles replied. “I think it’s the accent that does it. You guys can say some absolute filth and it sounds better in your accent than it does in French. I’d say probably brown hair, blue eyes too.”

Lando was aware that he fit the description but chose to ignore it. “I assume you’ve fucked George then?” he asked, sipping his cider. When Charles didn’t answer, Lando’s jaw dropped open. “Oh my God, Charles, you’ve got to tell me everything. What happened?”

“It was a very long time ago!” Charles protested, tracing his fingers over the back of Lando’s neck and making him shiver. “We were both very young. It was a fun night though. I practically had to beg him to let me suck his dick, but it was worth it in the end. For me, at least. George said he enjoyed it at the time but I don’t think he enjoyed it afterwards. He didn’t speak to me for a month.”

“Have you slept with anyone else I know?” Lando asked, feeling nosy. 

“Only Alex.”

“Fucking hell, Charles!” Lando elbowed Charles, laughing. “You’re telling me you’re still welcome at a wedding where you’ve fucking both the Bride and the Groom?!”

“What can I say?” Charles replied. “I’m a pleasure. The thing with Alex was quite nice, really. It was the start of the GP3 season; he was my team-mate. We went on a few dates and things like that. I thought it was going well, but then one night in bed he called me George and I knew then that he was in love with George, not me. I was just a substitute, you know?”

“So what did you do?” Lando asked, desperate to hear the end of the story.

“I locked them both on the balcony of my hotel room and told them I wouldn’t let them back in until they confessed their love for each other.”

Lando smiled. “So that’s why you’re still welcome at their wedding. You set them up. It’s your fault they’re together.”

“I think it was always going to happen,” Charles said, reaching for Lando’s bottle of cider and stealing a sip before handing the bottle back. “I just made it happen faster. Tell me about your history.”

“Well I haven’t fucked either of them,” Lando said flatly, downing the last of his cider so Charles couldn’t steal any more of it. He relaxed into Charles’s arms, enjoying the tickling on the back of his neck. “I’ve only slept with two people.”

“And neither time worked out?” Charles assumed. “That’s why you think you give your heart away too easily?”

Lando nodded. “It’s hard to talk about, really. You know, being an F1 driver, you have to get really good at keeping secrets.”

“I won’t tell anyone.”

“I believe you,” Lando said, sighing. He looked down at his empty cider bottle and wished it was full again. “The first was Max. The second was Carlos.”

Charles thought for a moment, piecing things together in his head. Everyone knew that Max had been sent to prison following domestic violence but nobody knew who his partner was. He imagined the devastation it must have caused in Lando’s life and why that would cause his relationship with Carlos to break down as well. It was messed up and Charles didn’t know what to say to address it. In the end, not wanting to get involved in a really heavy conversation, he went with humour. “So your type is people who were on the Red Bull Junior Program?” he teased. “And that’s why you won’t have sex with me? Because I’m a Ferrari driver?”

Lando rolled his eyes and smirked, elbowing Charles again, grateful that he’d lifted the conversation rather than spiral down with Lando. He’d worked hard on building himself back up, especially after Max’s death which had hit him harder than he’d expected. This was one of the first times he’d mentioned Max since his death without bursting into tears. “That’s exactly it, Charles.”

“So if I can convince everyone to let me and Pierre swap seats, you’ll let me suck your dick?”

“Of course,” Lando laughed. “If you can make that happen, you can suck my dick.”

“I’m sure I could convince him to lend me one of his shirts,” Charles suggested. “Or I could get one from Alex. Would that be enough?”

“No. Why are you so desperate to sleep with me?” Lando asked, intrigued.

“Because I’ve spent all day surrounded by people who are in love, and I’m really fucking lonely,” Charles snapped, instantly regretting it. “Sorry, forget I said that. Forget I said any of it.”

Lando leant across and kissed Charles, reaching one hand up around the back of Charles’s neck and pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He didn’t know if it was the buzz from the cider or if it was his own bad decision-making skills but Charles was irresistible and Lando wanted nothing more than to kiss him. 

“Do we need to go over there and separate them?” Pierre asked, resting his head on Carlos’s shoulder. They’d been watching Charles and Lando for a few minutes while they escaped from the dance floor for some fresh air.

“I don’t think so,” Carlos replied, wrapping his arm around Pierre’s waist. “Lando’s doing a lot better these days. I think he’s learned how to protect himself.”

“It’s not Lando I’m worried about,” Pierre explained. “It would have been Jules’s birthday tomorrow. Charles doesn’t make good decisions, especially not when he’s hurting and wants attention.”

“Shit,” Carlos said under his breath. “Let’s take them dancing instead.” The two of them walked over to Lando and Charles; Pierre grabbed Charles by the hands and Carlos grabbed Lando. “Come and dance!”

\---

“My feet hurt!” George whined, sitting down on a bar stool to take the weight off his feet from all the dancing. He smiled when Alex snuggled up against him, crowding him against the bar.

“Your feet hurt?” Alex asked, incredulous. “My cheeks hurt. I don’t think I’ve done as much smiling as I have today. I love our friends and family so much. I can’t believe I was so nervous this morning.

“We should have started drinking then,” George suggested. “I’m having a lot more fun now it’s all done. I finally feel like we can relax.”

“George! Alex!” Lando appeared, dragging Charles along next to him. “I just wanted to say goodbye. I’m a bit too drunk so I’m going to go to bed. I love you guys so fucking much!” He let go of Charles’s hand and wrapped his arms around George and Alex, cuddling them close. He kissed each of their cheeks in turn and then pulled away, grabbing Charles’s hand again.

“Good night, Lando. Get some sleep. We’ll see you both in the morning at breakfast?” George checked. They’d organised a big breakfast for everyone the next morning before they had to leave the barn and return to their real lives. Alex and George were heading straight to the airport for a lunchtime flight to Portugal for a small honeymoon before their longer one in Thailand at the end of the season.

“We’ll be there,” Charles said, squeezing Lando’s hand and guiding him away towards the exit. When they got there, they found their path blocked by Pierre and Carlos. 

“Where are you going?” Carlos asked, frowning.

“He’s drunk, I’m taking him to bed,” Charles explained.

Lando nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, I’m drunk. That cider is very good. Have you tried it? Charles is going to make sure I find my room okay.”

“Lando, we need to borrow Charles for just a second,” Pierre said. “Is that okay?”

“Don’t take him for too long!” Lando said, letting go of Charles and going to stand by the door. He swayed a little, smiling at himself.

“Charles, you can’t-” Carlos started before Charles cut him off.

“-can’t what?” Charles said coldly, squaring up to Carlos. “What do you think I’m going to do with him? The guy is so drunk he can barely walk. I know he’s your best friend. I know what you’ll do to me if I take advantage of him.”

“Charles, please,” Pierre said. “We know it’s Jules’s birthday tomorrow and you’re-”

“What, you think I’d forgotten it’s his birthday?” Charles said, frowning. “Or do you think I can’t cope? It’s been nearly ten years, Pierre. I can talk about his death. Do you seriously think I’m looking to sleep with Lando because I’m still cut up over his death and I need someone to fuck the pain away?”

“What do you want me to say?!” Pierre spat, tensing when Carlos took his hand, pulling him back from Charles a small step.

“Tell me you love me!” Charles replied. “Tell me I’m your best friend. Tell me good night. Tell me you’ll see me at breakfast in the morning!” He knew he was shouting, but he didn’t care about upsetting Pierre.

“Charles!” Pierre tugged his hand free from Carlos and pulled Charles into a tight embrace. “I do love you,” he said. “You are my best friend.”

“Then stop believing that I’m the kind of person who’d take advantage of Lando,” Charles replied, hugging Pierre back. “Fuck, I’m just trying to be nice to him.”

Lando saw Charles and Pierre cuddle and he felt left out. He hurried over to them, skidding slightly on the shiny floor and he threw his arms around them as well. “Why are we hugging?”

“We’re not anymore,” Charles said, gently pulling away from Pierre and reaching for Lando’s hand. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m sorry,” Pierre called after them, not sure if Charles would hear or not. He turned back to Carlos and sighed heavily. “What the fuck was that?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Carlos said, cupping Pierre’s jaw and kissing him softly. “Everyone’s had too much to drink, that’s all. We just need to trust them more. We’re not bad people for wanting to protect them.”

\---

Lando tried his best to get his key into the lock, but it was an old-fashioned metal key and not one of the plastic cards he was used to waving over the handle. He giggled to himself as he struggled to get the key lined up with the lock. “It won’t go in!”

“Let me do it,” Charles said, snatching the key from Lando and putting it straight into the lock. He twisted it and the door open; Lando stumbled inside and Charles hurried after him, grabbing the back of Lando’s shirt so he wouldn’t fall on his face.

“Ow,” Lando whined as his collar tightened around his neck, forcing him upright. He reached up and pulled at his tie to undo it, whirling around to face Charles. “Why aren’t you happy anymore? Did Pierre say something?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Charles mumbled, putting the lamp on next to the bed and grabbing a bottle of water from the mini bar. “He says stupid stuff sometimes.”

“What did he say?” Lando asked, fumbling with his buttons and pulling his shirt off. He dropped it onto the sofa in the room and kicked off his shoes, shoving his trousers down to his ankles and stepping out of them.

Charles sighed, reaching up and rubbing his forehead. “You know we talked earlier about how we make bad decisions? Pierre thinks I make bad decisions all the time.”

“Oh,” Lando said, crossing the room and collapsing down onto the mattress. He curled up on his side and peered up at Charles. “He’s wrong, isn’t he?”

“So I keep trying to prove to him,” Charles replied, pulling the blankets over Lando. He crouched down next to him and reached out, smoothing Lando’s hair away from his face. “He’s a good friend, but I wish he’d trust me sometimes.”

“Thank you for not having sex with me,” Lando said, smiling up at Charles. “I did mean what I said though, about the horse stuff. You’re always welcome to come and stay with me.”

“And you’ll always be welcome to come and visit in Monaco,” Charles replied, kissing Lando’s cheek. “Drink some water. Get some sleep. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

\---

The next morning at breakfast was a lot quieter, with most people having already gone home. The remaining guests all shared one large table, with George and Alex sitting in the middle of it. There was a breakfast buffet and multiple jugs of fruit juice laid out on the table. Charles grabbed himself a bowl of yoghurt and granola and then sat down opposite Pierre and Carlos.

“Charles, about last night,” Pierre started; he’d been stewing on their conversation all night.

“Don’t worry about it,” Charles said, and he really meant it. “I overreacted. This weekend is a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I’ve just seen two of my oldest friends get married, and now I’m flying back to Nice to have dinner with the parents of an even older friend who will never get married. I know you’ve seen me make a lot of bad decisions in the past, and I know you’ve seen me hurt people and get hurt by people.”

“I do care about you,” Pierre replied. “I’m just trying to look out for you.”

“And I really appreciate that,” Charles said, reaching for some berries to chuck over his granola. “I guess I still have work to do to show you I can make good decisions. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t suggest to Lando that we had sex. Of course we did. You know how much I love English guys. But he said ‘no’ and I respected that. Nothing happened when I took him back to his room last night. I tucked him into bed, kissed his forehead, and left.”

“I’m sorry,” Pierre said, an echo of “me too” from Carlos. “I should have believed in you more. I’ve been thinking a lot about Jules as well. It’s crazy that it’s been nearly ten years already. It doesn’t feel like that long.”

Charles shrugged, spooning granola into his mouth. He looked up and smiled when Lando slid into the chair next to him, two slices of buttery toast and a massive glass of milk.

“I think this milk was for people’s cereal,” Lando grinned. “But I’m not having cereal. Why are we all looking so sad?”

“It’s fine,” Charles said, nudging Lando’s arm. He didn’t want to talk about heavy stuff with Lando, he just wanted to have fun with him. “Did you get any sleep?”

“So much,” Lando replied proudly, glugging half his glass of milk. “I had dreams about flying horses. It was very weird. Did I miss much last night after I left?”

“Only Alex and his sister doing a stupid dance to some group called S Club 7,” Carlos replied. “Some British group from when Alex was 9, apparently. We went to bed pretty soon after that, left all the English people to it.”

\---

George and Alex didn’t have a standard gift registry for the wedding. They’d already been living together for a few years and so had everything they needed. Instead, they had a gift registry whereby people could gift them different experiences for their two honeymoons. Carlos and Pierre had gifted them an upgrade on their hotel room in Portugal and Lando had gifted them a wakeboarding experience. Charles had paid for a meal in a fancy restaurant.

Shortly after breakfast finished, everyone gathered in front of the barn to say goodbye to George and Alex. Charles wasn’t there - he’d had to dash off early for his flight - so Lando stood with Carlos and Pierre.

George and Alex made their away around the group, saying their ‘thank yous’ and ‘goodbyes’ while their chauffeur loaded their luggage into the back of the car to the airport. Gone were the tweed suits, replaced with much more casual t-shirt and shorts.

“I just can’t believe you’re fucking married now,” Lando laughed, squeezing Alex tightly. “You’re so grown-up now.”

“It’ll be your turn one day, I promise,” Alex replied, messing up Lando’s hair before moving on to Carlos and Pierre to say farewell.

George hugged Lando and kissed his forehead. “I saw you getting pretty friendly with Charles last night. How did that go?”

“We’re just friends,” Lando insisted. “That’s it.”

“Shame,” George replied. “He’s cute.”

“I hear you would know,” Lando replied. “He told me everything.”

“Dickhead,” George laughed, shoving Lando lightly before moving on to Carlos and Pierre as well. They said their goodbyes and then George and Alex both climbed into the back seat of the car, George politely holding the door open for Alex. They fastened their seatbelts and looked back through the rear window of the car as they were driven away, waving madly back to their loved ones.


End file.
